Door-step cabinet.



. No. 726,138. .PATENTED APR, 21, 1903. P. BURNS.

DOOR STEP CABINET.

I APPLIOAIION'IILED SEPT. s, 1902.

no MODEL.

- @a 1 aw A;

UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE.

{FRAN Ian-ans, oF-rnILaD Lr IA, PENNSYLVANIA. i

DooR-sTE'P' CABIN-ET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters I atent No. 726,138, dated April 21, 190s. Application filetl September 3,1902. Serial No 121,979. on model.)

provements in Door-Step Cabinets, of which.

the following'is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a door-step cabinet for receiving jars of milk,

loaves of bread, or other.household necessir ties, which cabinet will be firmly retained in its place on the step when the door is closed and the contents of the cabinet protected from theft, destruction, orinjury. This object I attain in the mannerhere'inafter set forth, reference being had to'the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved door-step cabinet, showing the door of the same open. I tical section of the cabinet with its door closed. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view-on a still larger scale; and Fig. 4 is a vertical line a a, Fig. 3. 7 7

1 represents part of the door-sill, 2 part of one of the side frames of the doorway, and 3 part of the door, all of these parts being as usual, with the exception that the door and door frame are provided with certain fittings, hereinafter referred to, for use in locking in position in the doorway-the cabinet forming the subject of 'my invention. 'This cabinet consists of a box-like structure 4:, with top, bottom, back, and sides, and with hinged door 5 for closing it in front, the cabinet being also, if desired, provided with one or more shelves 6, as shown, whereby it is adapted for receiving a number of receptacles one above another. .The backof the cabinet may, however, be omitted and the inner side of thev same also, if desired, and in some cases the cabinet may be made without either shelves or bottom, the door 3 constituting the back? of the cabinet, the door-frame2 the inner side of the same, and thesill lthe bottom, thepur pose of the'ca'binet being to protect its contents from access thereto, for which purpose only the top, outer side, and front door are abso-' lutely necessary. Where the inner side ofthe cabinet is dispensed with, however, some form of framework should be employed to carry the fastening devices, whereby the cabinet is secured to the frame 2 of the doorway.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged ver section on the action effects engagement of the bolt 7 with the keeper 8 and effectually prevents any movement of. the cabinet away from the doorframe 2 without first lifting the same, so as to free the bolt from engagement with the keeper. In order to prevent such raising of the cabinet when thedoor 3 is closed, said door has secured toita plate 10 with projecting tongue'll, which tongue enters a recess 12 in the back of the cabinet, and thus locks the latter vertically until the door has first been 1 opened, so as to withdraw the tongue 11 from engagementwith said recess.

One of the shelves 6 of the cabinet is hinged at the back of the same, as shown at 13, and is supported by a spring 14 or other equivalent means, so that when said shelf is not loaded or has an empty receptacle thereon it will'be elevated, so that a retainer l5, on the -un d eir side of the front .portionoof' the shelf will be free from engagement .withathe latch 16 on the door 5 when the latter is closed. When, however, a filled receptacle is placed on'the shelf, the latter is depressed, so that when'the door is closed the retainer 15 will engage with the latch 16, and will thusprevent the opening of the door. When the cabinet'is removed, however, access to the shelf may be permitted through an opening in the rear or other portion of the same, so

to, permit said shelf to be lifted in order to release the latch 16 and permit oftheopeni-ng ofthe door 5. Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by'Letters ,Pat- Gut- 1.

"1; The combination with a door, adoorframe and a retainer thereon, of. a*door-step cabinet having a portion for removable engagement therewith, said members being constructed to prevent motion of the cabinet in a horizontal direction, and means carried by the door and constructed to engage said cabinet so as to prevent its motion in a vertical direction, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a door-frame and a door, of a door-step cabinet, one of the members comprised by the cabinet and the frame having a vertical bolt and the other having a keeper for the same, and one of the members comprised by the cabinet and the door having a horizontally-projecting piece and the other being provided with a recess for the reception of said piece, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a door, a doorframe and a retainer thereon, of a door-step cabinet having a portion in removable engagement with said retainer, with a device on the door engaging the cabinet and constructed to prevent vertical motion thereof, substantially as described.-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANK BURNS.

WVitnesses:

F. E. BECHTOLD, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

